Intelligent route selection for autonomous vehicle delivery system

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a method comprising identifying at least one of a characteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin to a destination; identifying a plurality of possible routes between the origin and the destination using mapping information, the mapping information including for each of the plurality of possible routes, a characterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising the possible route; evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view of the identified at least one of the item characteristic and the item identity to select one of the plurality of possible routes; and providing the selected one of the plurality of possible routes to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to the destination via the identified route.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles (AVs)and, more specifically, to devices and methods for AV delivery routeselection based on delivery contents and mapping data.

BACKGROUND

Fast, efficient, and safe transportation of a delivery from its point oforigin to its destination may depend on a number of factors, includingthe characteristics of the delivery itself (which may include fragile,liquid, or sturdy, for example) and the condition of the road segmentsthat make up the selected route (e.g., smooth, full of potholes, and/orriddled with speed bumps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure andfeatures and advantages thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, whereinlike reference numerals represent like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example autonomous vehicle inwhich an intelligent delivery system according to some embodiments ofthe present disclosure may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example intelligent deliverysystem according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example method implemented by an exampleintelligent delivery system according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a number of possible routes between an origin and adestination for providing a visual illustration of route selectionperformed by an intelligent delivery system according to someembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of another example method implemented by anexample intelligent delivery system according to alternative embodimentsof the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of yet another example method implemented by anexample intelligent delivery system according to alternative embodimentsof the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have severalinnovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for theall of the desirable attributes disclosed herein. Details of one or moreimplementations of the subject matter described in this specificationare set forth in the description below and the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method comprisingidentifying at least one of a characteristic and an identity of an itemfor delivery from an origin to a destination; identifying a plurality ofpossible routes between the origin and the destination using mappinginformation, the mapping information including for each of the pluralityof possible routes, a characterization of each of a plurality of routesegments comprising the possible route; evaluating the plurality ofpossible routes in view of the identified at least one of the itemcharacteristic and the item identity to select one of the plurality ofpossible routes; and providing the selected one of the plurality ofpossible routes to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item fromthe origin to the destination via the identified route.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an intelligentdelivery system for a vehicle, the intelligent delivery systemcomprising at least one sensing device for determining at least one of acharacteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin toa destination; a mapping information module for storing mappinginformation comprising information regarding a plurality of possibleroutes from the origin to the destination, the mapping informationincluding for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; and a route selection module for evaluating theplurality of possible routes in view of the identified at least one ofthe item characteristic and the item identity to select one of theplurality of possible routes.

Embodiments of the present disclosure still further provide a vehiclecomprising an onboard computer; a sensor suite comprising a plurality ofimaging devices and at least one sensing device for determining at leastone of a characteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from anorigin to a destination; a mapping information module for storingmapping information comprising information regarding a plurality ofpossible routes from the origin to the destination, the mappinginformation including for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; and a route selection module for evaluating theplurality of possible routes in view of the identified at least one ofthe item characteristic and the item identity to select one of theplurality of possible routes.

Embodiments disclosed herein may be particularly advantageous forselecting which of a plurality of possible routes will be taken by an AVto deliver an item, or delivery, from an origin to a destination basedon characteristics and/or an identity of the item being delivered andmapping data indicating a condition of various segments of the possibleroutes. Additionally, user and/or vehicle feedback may be providedduring or after the delivery and may be used to update mapping data usedin route selection. Moreover, additional constraints and considerations,such as price charged, amount of fuel available or consumed, and/oramount of time to complete the delivery may also be considered inselecting which of the plurality of possible routes should be taken.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentdisclosure, in particular aspects of an intelligent delivery system foran autonomous vehicle, described herein, may be embodied in variousmanners (e.g., as a method, a system, a computer program product, or acomputer-readable storage medium). Accordingly, aspects of the presentdisclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, anentirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software,micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardwareaspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,”“module” or “system.” Functions described in this disclosure may beimplemented as an algorithm executed by one or more hardware processingunits, e.g. one or more microprocessors, of one or more computers. Invarious embodiments, different steps and portions of the steps of eachof the methods described herein may be performed by different processingunits. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the formof a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s), preferably non-transitory, having computer readable programcode embodied, e.g., stored, thereon. In various embodiments, such acomputer program may, for example, be downloaded (updated) to theexisting devices and systems (e.g. to the existing system devices and/ortheir controllers, etc.) or be stored upon manufacturing of thesedevices and systems.

The following detailed description presents various descriptions ofspecific certain embodiments. However, the innovations described hereincan be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, asdefined and covered by the claims and/or select examples. In thefollowing description, reference is made to the drawings in which likereference numerals can indicate identical or functionally similarelements. It will be understood that elements illustrated in thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, it will beunderstood that certain embodiments can include more elements thanillustrated in a drawing and/or a subset of the elements illustrated ina drawing. Further, some embodiments can incorporate any suitablecombination of features from two or more drawings.

The following disclosure describes various illustrative embodiments andexamples for implementing the features and functionality of the presentdisclosure. While particular components, arrangements, and/or featuresare described below in connection with various example embodiments,these are merely examples used to simplify the present disclosure andare not intended to be limiting. It will of course be appreciated thatin the development of any actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedeveloper's specific goals, including compliance with system, business,and/or legal constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that, while such a developmenteffort might be complex and time-consuming; it would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure.

In the Specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationshipsbetween various components and to the spatial orientation of variousaspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, aswill be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete readingof the present disclosure, the devices, components, members,apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desiredorientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”,“lower”, “top”, “bottom”, or other similar terms to describe a spatialrelationship between various components or to describe the spatialorientation of aspects of such components, should be understood todescribe a relative relationship between the components or a spatialorientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as thecomponents described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.When used to describe a range of dimensions or other characteristics(e.g., time, pressure, temperature, length, width, etc.) of an element,operations, and/or conditions, the phrase “between X and Y” represents arange that includes X and Y.

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent fromthe following description and the claims.

One embodiment is a system for autonomous vehicle delivery routeselection based on delivery contents and mapping data. In particular,the system enables selection of one of a plurality of possible routesthat will be taken by an autonomous vehicle to transport an item, ordelivery, from an origin to a destination based on characteristicsand/or an identity of the item being delivered and mapping dataindicating a condition of various segments of the possible routes.Additionally, user and/or vehicle feedback may be provided during orafter the delivery and may be used to update mapping data used in routeselection. Moreover, additional constraints and considerations, such ascost, amount of fuel available or consumed, and/or amount of time tocomplete the delivery may also be considered in selecting one of theplurality of possible routes to be taken.

As shown in FIG. 1, an intelligent delivery system 100 embodyingfeatures described herein includes an autonomous vehicle 110 including apassenger interface 120, a vehicle coordinator 130, and/or a remoteexpert interface 140. In certain embodiments, the remote expertinterface 140 allows a non-passenger entity to set and/or modify thebehavior settings of the autonomous vehicle 110. The non-passengerentity may be different from the vehicle coordinator 130, which may be aserver.

A remote facility 160, which may comprise a central office or backofficefacility, may also be provided for providing the autonomous vehicle 110(and particularly, the onboard computer 145) with a number of differentsystem backend functions. The remote facility 160 may include one ormore switches, servers, databases, live advisors, and/or an automatedvoice response system (“VRS”). Remote facility 160 may include any orall of the aforementioned components, which may be coupled to oneanother via a wired or wireless local area network (LAN). Remotefacility 160 may receive and transmit data via one or more appropriatedevices and network from and to the autonomous vehicle 110, such as bywireless systems, such as 882.11x, GPRS, and the like. A database at theremote facility 160 can store account information such as subscriberauthentication information, vehicle identifiers, profile records,behavioral patterns, and other pertinent subscriber information. Theremote facility 160 may also include a database of roads, routes,locations, etc. permitted for use by autonomous vehicle 110. The remotefacility 160 may communicate with the autonomous vehicle 110 to provideroute guidance in response to a request received from the vehicle.

For example, based upon information stored in a mapping system of theremote facility 160, the remote facility may determine the conditions ofvarious roads or portions thereof. Autonomous vehicles, such as theautonomous vehicle 110, may, in the course of determining a navigationroute, receive instructions from the remote facility 160 regarding whichroads or portions thereof, if any, are appropriate for use under certaincircumstances, as described hereinbelow. Such instructions may be basedin part on information received from the autonomous vehicle 110 or otherautonomous vehicles regarding road conditions Accordingly, remotefacility 160 may receive information regarding the roads/routesgenerally in real-time from one or more vehicles.

The system 100 functions to enable an autonomous vehicle 110 to modifyand/or set a driving behavior in response to parameters set by vehiclepassengers (e.g., via the passenger interface 120) and/or otherinterested parties (e.g., via the vehicle coordinator 130 or remoteexpert interface 140). In accordance with features of embodimentsdescribed herein, the system 100 further functions to enable autonomousvehicle 110 to modify and/or set a driving behavior and/or routeautomatically in response to delivery contents or other considerationsor factors. Driving behavior of an autonomous vehicle may be modifiedaccording to explicit input or feedback (e.g., a passenger specifying amaximum speed or a relative comfort level), implicit input or feedback(e.g., a passenger's heart rate), or any other suitable data or mannerof communicating driving behavior preferences.

The autonomous vehicle 110 is preferably a fully autonomous automobile,but may additionally or alternatively be any semi-autonomous or fullyautonomous vehicle; e.g., a boat, an unmanned aerial vehicle, adriverless car, etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the autonomousvehicles may be vehicles that switch between a semi-autonomous state anda fully autonomous state and thus, some autonomous vehicles may haveattributes of both a semi-autonomous vehicle and a fully autonomousvehicle depending on the state of the vehicle.

The autonomous vehicle 110 preferably includes a throttle interface thatcontrols an engine throttle, motor speed (e.g., rotational speed ofelectric motor), or any other movement-enabling mechanism; a brakeinterface that controls brakes of the autonomous vehicle (or any othermovement-retarding mechanism); and a steering interface that controlssteering of the autonomous vehicle (e.g., by changing the angle ofwheels of the autonomous vehicle). The autonomous vehicle 110 mayadditionally or alternatively include interfaces for control of anyother vehicle functions; e.g., windshield wipers, headlights, turnindicators, air conditioning, etc.

In addition, the autonomous vehicle 110 preferably includes an onboardcomputer 145 and a sensor suite 150 (e.g., computer vision (“CV”)system, LIDAR, RADAR, wheel speed sensors, GPS, cameras, etc.). Theonboard computer 145 functions to control the autonomous vehicle 110 andprocesses sensed data from the sensor suite 150 and/or other sensors inorder to determine the state of the autonomous vehicle 110. Based uponthe vehicle state and programmed instructions, the onboard computer 145preferably modifies or controls driving behavior of the autonomousvehicle 110.

Driving behavior may include any information relating to how anautonomous vehicle drives (e.g., actuates brakes, accelerator, steering)given a set of instructions (e.g., a route or plan). Driving behaviormay include a description of a controlled operation and movement of anautonomous vehicle and the manner in which the autonomous vehicleapplies traffic rules during one or more driving sessions. Drivingbehavior may additionally or alternatively include any information abouthow an autonomous vehicle calculates routes (e.g., prioritizing fastesttime vs. shortest distance), other autonomous vehicle actuation behavior(e.g., actuation of lights, windshield wipers, traction controlsettings, etc.) and/or how an autonomous vehicle responds toenvironmental stimulus (e.g., how an autonomous vehicle behaves if it israining, or if an animal jumps in front of the vehicle). Some examplesof elements that may contribute to driving behavior include accelerationconstraints, deceleration constraints, speed constraints, steeringconstraints, suspension settings, routing preferences (e.g., scenicroutes, faster routes, no highways), lighting preferences, actionprofiles (e.g., how a vehicle turns, changes lanes, or performs adriving maneuver), and action frequency constraints (e.g., how often avehicle changes lanes).

The onboard computer 145 functions to control the operations andfunctionality of the autonomous vehicles 110 and processes sensed datafrom the sensor suite 150 and/or other sensors in order to determinestates of the autonomous vehicles no. Based upon the vehicle state andprogrammed instructions, the onboard computer 145 preferably modifies orcontrols behavior of autonomous vehicles 110. The onboard computer 145is preferably a general-purpose computer adapted for I/O communicationwith vehicle control systems and sensor systems, but may additionally oralternatively be any suitable computing device. The onboard computer 145is preferably connected to the Internet via a wireless connection (e.g.,via a cellular data connection). Additionally or alternatively, theonboard computer 145 may be coupled to any number of wireless or wiredcommunication systems.

The sensor suite 150 preferably includes localization and drivingsensors; e.g., photodetectors, cameras, RADAR, SONAR, LIDAR, GPS,inertial measurement units (IMUS), accelerometers, microphones, straingauges, pressure monitors, barometers, thermometers, altimeters, etc.

In certain embodiments, information collected by autonomous vehicles,such as autonomous vehicle 110, may be provided to the remote facility160, which may establish a database or map of routes in a given area orregion where use of an autonomous driving system may be permitted.Information may be collected from vehicles in real-time, i.e., as thevehicle(s) traverses the route(s) in question. Information may beanalyzed by a central office of the remote facility 160 in real-time, oron a periodic basis. The information may be provided to vehiclescollectively in the area, e.g., by way of a central database or map. Forexample, vehicles may pull route information from the database/map todetermine appropriate route(s) for use of an autonomous driving systemin any manner that is convenient. In some examples, a vehicle telematicsunit may selectively communicate with the remote facility to determinewhether a route may be used with an autonomous driving system. Inaccordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided asystem for communicating with a plurality of vehicles may include aplurality of telematics units installed into each of the vehicles. Thetelematics units are configured to collect route information as thevehicles are traveling along a vehicle route.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example system 200 that may beconfigured to implement at least portions of an intelligent deliverysystem for an autonomous vehicle, such as the autonomous vehicle 110, inaccordance with embodiments described herein, and more particularly asshown in the FIGURES described hereinabove. Part or all of theintelligent delivery system 200 may be implemented as a sensor suite,such as the sensor suite 150, and/or an onboard computer, such asonboard computer 145, and/or a remote system, such as remote facility160. As shown in FIG. 2, the intelligent delivery system 200 may includeat least one processor 202, e.g. a hardware processor 202, coupled tomemory elements 204 through a system bus 206. As such, the system maystore program code and/or data within memory elements 204. Further, theprocessor 202 may execute the program code accessed from the memoryelements 204 via a system bus 206. In one aspect, the system may beimplemented as a computer that is suitable for storing and/or executingprogram code (e.g., onboard computer 145). It should be appreciated,however, that the system 200 may be implemented in the form of anysystem including a processor and a memory that is capable of performingthe functions described in this disclosure.

In some embodiments, the processor 202 can execute software or analgorithm to perform the activities as discussed in this specification;in particular, activities related to an intelligent delivery system foran autonomous vehicle in accordance with embodiments described herein.The processor 202 may include any combination of hardware, software, orfirmware providing programmable logic, including by way of non-limitingexample a microprocessor, a DSP, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA),a programmable logic array (PLA), an integrated circuit (IC), anapplication specific IC (ASIC), or a virtual machine processor. Theprocessor 202 may be communicatively coupled to the memory element 204,for example in a direct-memory access (DMA) configuration, so that theprocessor 202 may read from or write to the memory elements 204.

In general, the memory elements 204 may include any suitable volatile ornon-volatile memory technology, including double data rate (DDR) randomaccess memory (RAM), synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), flash,read-only memory (ROM), optical media, virtual memory regions, magneticor tape memory, or any other suitable technology. Unless specifiedotherwise, any of the memory elements discussed herein should beconstrued as being encompassed within the broad term “memory.” Theinformation being measured, processed, tracked or sent to or from any ofthe components of the system 200 could be provided in any database,register, control list, cache, or storage structure, all of which can bereferenced at any suitable timeframe. Any such storage options may beincluded within the broad term “memory” as used herein. Similarly, anyof the potential processing elements, modules, and machines describedherein should be construed as being encompassed within the broad term“processor.” Each of the elements shown in the present figures may alsoinclude suitable interfaces for receiving, transmitting, and/orotherwise communicating data or information in a network environment sothat they can communicate with, for example, a system having hardwaresimilar or identical to another one of these elements.

In certain example implementations, mechanisms for implementing anintelligent delivery system for an autonomous vehicle as outlined hereinmay be implemented by logic encoded in one or more tangible media, whichmay be inclusive of non-transitory media, e.g., embedded logic providedin an ASIC, in DSP instructions, software (potentially inclusive ofobject code and source code) to be executed by a processor, or othersimilar machine, etc. In some of these instances, memory elements, suchas e.g. the memory elements 204 shown in FIG. 2, can store data orinformation used for the operations described herein. This includes thememory elements being able to store software, logic, code, or processorinstructions that are executed to carry out the activities describedherein. A processor can execute any type of instructions associated withthe data or information to achieve the operations detailed herein. Inone example, the processors, such as e.g. the processor 202 shown inFIG. 2, could transform an element or an article (e.g., data) from onestate or thing to another state or thing. In another example, theactivities outlined herein may be implemented with fixed logic orprogrammable logic (e.g., software/computer instructions executed by aprocessor) and the elements identified herein could be some type of aprogrammable processor, programmable digital logic (e.g., an FPGA, aDSP, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) or an ASIC thatincludes digital logic, software, code, electronic instructions, or anysuitable combination thereof.

The memory elements 204 may include one or more physical memory devicessuch as, for example, local memory 208 and one or more bulk storagedevices 210. The local memory may refer to RAM or other non-persistentmemory device(s) generally used during actual execution of the programcode. A bulk storage device may be implemented as a hard drive or otherpersistent data storage device. The processing system 200 may alsoinclude one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporarystorage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number oftimes program code must be retrieved from the bulk storage device 210during execution.

As shown in FIG. 2, the memory elements 204 may store a route selectionmodule 220 and a mapping data module 222. In various embodiments, themodules 220, 222, may be stored in the local memory 208, the one or morebulk storage devices 210, or apart from the local memory and the bulkstorage devices. It should be appreciated that the system 200 mayfurther execute an operating system (not shown in FIG. 2) that canfacilitate execution of the modules 220, 222. The modules 220, 222,being implemented in the form of executable program code and/or data,can be read from, written to, and/or executed by the system 200, e.g.,by the processor 202. Responsive to reading from, writing to, and/orexecuting one of the modules 220, 222, the system 200 may be configuredto perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

Input/output (I/O) devices depicted as an input device 212 and an outputdevice 214, optionally, may be coupled to the system. Examples of inputdevices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointingdevice such as a mouse, or the like. Examples of output devices mayinclude, but are not limited to, a monitor or a display, speakers, orthe like. In some implementations, the system may include a devicedriver (not shown) for the output device 214. Input and/or outputdevices 212, 214 may be coupled to the system 200 either directly orthrough intervening I/O controllers. Additionally, sensing devices 215,may be coupled to the system 200. Examples of sensing devices 215 mayinclude, but are not limited to, cameras (located inside and/or outsidethe vehicle), LIDARs, RADARS, scales, QR code readers, bar code readers,RF sensors, and others. Sensing devices 215 may be coupled to the system200 either directly or through intervening controllers and/or drivers.

Cameras may be implemented using high-resolution imagers with fixedmounting and field of view. LIDARs may be implemented using scanningLIDARs with dynamically configurable field of view that provides apoint-cloud of the region intended to scan. RADARs may be implementedusing scanning RADARs with dynamically configurable field of view.

In an embodiment, the input and the output devices may be implemented asa combined input/output device (illustrated in FIG. 2 with a dashed linesurrounding the input device 212 and the output device 214). An exampleof such a combined device is a touch sensitive display, also sometimesreferred to as a “touch screen display” or simply “touch screen”. Insuch an embodiment, input to the device may be provided by a movement ofa physical object, such as e.g. a stylus or a finger of a user, on ornear the touch screen display.

A network adapter 216 may also, optionally, be coupled to the system 200to enable it to become coupled to other systems, computer systems,remote network devices, and/or remote storage devices throughintervening private or public networks. The network adapter may comprisea data receiver for receiving data that is transmitted by said systems,devices and/or networks to the system 200, and a data transmitter fortransmitting data from the system 200 to said systems, devices and/ornetworks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples ofdifferent types of network adapter that may be used with the system 200.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example method 300 implemented by anintelligent delivery system according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure, such as the intelligent delivery system 200 of FIG. 2. Instep 302, characteristics and/or an identity of an item for delivery aredetermined. It will be recognized that this step may be performed in anynumber of manners. For example, the item for delivery may have affixedthereto a code (such as a bar code or QR code, for example) or an RF IDthat may be read by an appropriate sensor disposed within the vehicle.Alternatively, visual sensors, such as a camera, may be used to discerncharacteristics and/or the identity of the item. Still further,information regarding characteristics and/or an identity of the item maybe provided by an individual, such as a system administrator oroperator. The information gleaned in step 302 may include suchinformation as physical state of the item (e.g., solid or liquid), adurability of the item (e.g., sturdy or fragile), and whether or not theitem is perishable (and if so, within what time frame), for example.

In step 304, a plurality of possible routes between an origin of theitem and a destination of the item may be identified using mappinginformation.

In step 306, the information regarding characteristics and/or anidentity of the item as well as the plurality of possible routes areevaluated to select an optimal delivery route, e.g., by weightingsegments of each route based on the condition of the segment. Forexample, if the item being delivered is fragile (e.g., a flowerarrangement) and/or a liquid (e.g., a container of soup), a longer, butsmoother, route (i.e., a route with a high percentage of route segmentscharacterized in mapping information as smooth) may be preferable over ashorter, but bumpier, route, with the increase in delivery time beingjustifiable in view of the desire to avoid spilling or damaging theitem. Alternatively, if the item being delivered is sturdy and durable(e.g., a well-packed box), a shorter, if bumpier, route (i.e., a routewith a high percentage of route segments characterized in mappinginformation as “rough”) may be preferable to decrease delivery time. Foritems that are neither particularly sensitive or durable, anintermediate route (i.e., a route having a high percentage of routesegments characterized as “moderate”) may be selected.

In step 308, the selected route is provided to the vehicle.

FIG. 4 provides a visual illustration of route selection in accordancewith embodiments described herein. In particular, FIG. 4 illustrates anumber of possible routes 400A-400C between an origin 402 and adestination 404. As also shown in FIG. 4, a number of route segments,e.g., segment 406, are characterized (or designated or identified) inmapping information as “rough.” As used herein, a “rough” route segmentis one that the vehicle (and passengers or contents thereof) experiencesas bumpy and/or bouncy, either constantly or intermittently, and perhapsdue to potholes or other deficiencies in the surface of the routesegment or other factors. A number of other route segments, e.g.,segment 408, are characterized (or designated or identified) in mappinginformation as “moderate.” As used herein, a “moderate” route segment isone that the vehicle (and passengers or contents thereof) experiences asnot particularly bumpy and/or bouncy, either constantly orintermittently, but also not particularly comfortable due to theoccasional deficiencies in the surface of the route segment or otherfactors. The mapping information may include historical sensor data(e.g. data from vehicle suspension, accelerometers, IMUs, etc.) fromvehicles previously traversing the route segment, 3D LiDAR point clouddata of road surfaces, approximations of road quality based thereon,user feedback from previous passengers of vehicles traversing the roadsegment, or any combination thereof.

Finally, a number of remaining route segments, e.g., segment 410, arecharacterized (or designated or identified) in mapping information as“smooth.” As used herein, a “smooth” route segment is one that thevehicle (and passengers or contents thereof) experiences as comfortableand relatively free of bumps and/or bounces. As shown in FIG. 4, route400A is the shortest route between the origin 402 and the destination404, but includes the highest percentage of rough segments 406 (i.e.,segments characterized as rough) of all the routes 400. Route 400C isthe longest route between the origin 402 and the designation 404, butincludes the highest percentage of smooth segments 410 (i.e., segmentscharacterized as smooth) and the lowest percentage of rough segments 406of all the routes 400. Finally, route 400B is not as short as route 400Aand not a long as 400C and the highest percentage of moderate segments408 (i.e., segments characterized as moderate) of all the routes 400.Given the foregoing mapping information of FIG. 4 as an example, in oneembodiment, the route selection module would select route 400A fordelivering a sturdy item from the origin 402 to the destination 404,route 400C for delivering a fragile item from the origin to thedestination, and route 400B for items that are neither particularlysturdy or particularly fragile. It is to be understood that, while FIG.4 shows three exemplary categories of route segments, any number may beused or, alternatively, roughness of a route may be evaluatedcontinuously instead of discretely. In some embodiments, each categorymay be defined by one or more upper and lower thresholds correspondingto a type of mapping information.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative example method 500 implementedby an intelligent delivery system according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure, such as the intelligent delivery system 200 of FIG.2.

In step 502, characteristics and/or an identity of an item for deliveryare determined. It will be recognized that this step may be performed inany number of manners. For example, the item for delivery may haveaffixed thereto a code (such as a bar code or QR code, for example) oran RF ID that may be read by an appropriate sensor disposed within thevehicle. Alternatively, visual sensors, such as a camera, may be used todiscern characteristics and/or the identity of the item. Still further,information regarding characteristics and/or an identity of the item maybe provided by an individual, such as a system administrator oroperator. The information gleaned in step 502 may include suchinformation as physical state of the item (e.g., solid or liquid), adurability of the item (e.g., sturdy or fragile), and whether or not theitem is perishable (and if so, within what time frame), for example.

In step 504, a plurality of possible routes between an origin of theitem and a destination of the item may be identified using mappinginformation.

In step 506, the information regarding characteristics and/or anidentity of the item as well as the plurality of possible routes areevaluated to select an optimal delivery route, e.g., by weighting and/orcharacterizing segments of each route based on the condition of thesegment. For example, if the item being delivered is fragile (e.g., aflower arrangement) and/or a liquid (e.g., a container of soup), alonger, but smoother, route (i.e., a route with a high percentage ofroute segments characterized in mapping information as smooth) may bepreferable over a shorter, but bumpier, route, with the increase indelivery time being justifiable in view of the desire to avoid spillingor damaging the item. Alternatively, if the item being delivered issturdy and durable (e.g., a well-packed box), a shorter, if bumpier,route (i.e., a route with a high percentage of route segmentscharacterized in mapping information as “rough”) may be preferable todecrease delivery time. For items that are neither particularlysensitive or durable, an intermediate route (i.e., a route having a highpercentage of route segments characterized as “moderate”) may beselected.

In step 508, the selected route is provided to the vehicle.

In step 510, upon completion of the delivery, information regarding theroute (e.g., actual route conditions that may include sensor data aspreviously described) is provided by the vehicle and/or a user to aremote system, for example, which uses the route information to updatethe mapping information used to select an optimal route.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of another alternative method 600 implemented byan intelligent delivery system according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure, such as the intelligent delivery system 200 of FIG.2.

In step 602, characteristics and/or an identity of an item for deliveryare determined. It will be recognized that this step may be performed inany number of manners. For example, the item for delivery may haveaffixed thereto a code (such as a bar code or QR code, for example) oran RF ID that may be read by an appropriate sensor disposed within thevehicle. Alternatively, visual sensors, such as a camera, may be used todiscern characteristics and/or the identity of the item. Still further,information regarding characteristics and/or an identity of the item maybe provided by an individual, such as a system administrator oroperator. The information gleaned in step 602 may include suchinformation as physical state of the item (e.g., solid or liquid), adurability of the item (e.g., sturdy or fragile), and whether or not theitem is perishable (and if so, within what time frame), for example.

In step 603, additional resources and/or constraints, such as fee/price,amount of fuel required, amount of fuel available, and/or a time limitin which the delivery must be made, for example, are identified. Theseadditional resources and/or constraints may be determined based oncircumstances or imposed by a user or system operator/administrator. Forexample, a user may indicate that a particular delivery must be madewithin a certain period of time. Additionally and/or alternatively,there may only be a certain amount of fuel in the vehicle to make thedelivery and/or the delivery must be made for a particular fee.

In step 604, a plurality of possible routes between an origin of theitem and a destination of the item may be identified using mappinginformation.

In step 606, the information gleaned in steps 602 and 603, as well asthe plurality of possible routes are evaluated to select an optimaldelivery route, e.g., by weighting and/or characterizing segments ofeach route based on the condition of the segment. For example, if theitem being delivered is fragile (e.g., a flower arrangement) and/or aliquid (e.g., a container of soup), a longer, but smoother, route (i.e.,a route with a high percentage of route segments characterized inmapping information as smooth) may be preferable over a shorter, butbumpier, route, with the increase in delivery time being justifiable inview of the desire to avoid spilling or damaging the item.Alternatively, if the item being delivered is sturdy and durable (e.g.,a well-packed box), a shorter, if bumpier, route (i.e., a route with ahigh percentage of route segments characterized in mapping informationas “rough”) may be preferable to decrease delivery time. For items thatare neither particularly sensitive or durable, an intermediate route(i.e., a route having a high percentage of route segments characterizedas “moderate”) may be selected.

In step 608, the selected route is provided to the vehicle.

Example 1 is a method comprising identifying at least one of acharacteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin toa destination; identifying a plurality of possible routes between theorigin and the destination using mapping information, the mappinginformation including for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view ofthe identified at least one of the item characteristic and the itemidentity to select one of the plurality of possible routes; andproviding the selected one of the plurality of possible routes to avehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to thedestination via the identified route.

In Example 2, the method of Example 1 may further include the itemcharacteristic comprising at least one of a sturdiness of the item, aphysical state of the item, and a perishability of the item.

In Example 3, the method of any of Examples 1-2 may further include theitem identity being identified by reading a code associated with theitem.

In Example 4, the method of any of Examples 1-3 may further include theitem identity being identified by information provided by a user.

In Example 5, the method of any of Examples 1-4 may further include theitem identity being identified using imaging devices to capture one ormore images of the item by which to identify the item.

In Example 6, the method of any of Examples 1-5 may further include theevaluating further comprising characterizing each of the route segmentsaccording to a relative comfort level experienced by contents of thevehicle while traversing the route segment and assigning a route type tothe route segment corresponding to the characterization thereof.

In Example 7, the method of any of Examples 1-6 may further include theevaluating further comprising identifying a type of route segment thatcorresponds to the item based on the identified at least one of itemcharacteristic and item identity.

In Example 8, the method of any of Examples 1-7 may further include theselecting further comprising selecting the one of the plurality ofpossible routes that has a highest percentage of route segments of theidentified type.

In Example 9, the method of any of Examples 1-8 may further include,subsequent to completion of a delivery of the item, updating the mappinginformation for at least one of the route segments of the selected routeusing information provided by at least one of the vehicle and a vehiclepassenger regarding the comfort level of the route segment.

In Example 10, the method of any of Examples 1-9 may further includeidentifying at least one additional constraint in connection with adelivery of the item, wherein the evaluating further comprisesevaluating the plurality of possible routes in view of the identified atleast one of the item characteristic and the item identity incombination with the identified at least one additional constraint toselect the one of the plurality of possible route.

Example 11 is an intelligent delivery system for a vehicle, which mayinclude at least one sensing device for determining at least one of acharacteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin toa destination; a mapping information module for storing mappinginformation comprising information regarding a plurality of possibleroutes from the origin to the destination, the mapping informationincluding for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; and a route selection module for evaluating theplurality of possible routes in view of the identified at least one ofthe item characteristic and the item identity to select one of theplurality of possible routes.

In Example 12, the intelligent delivery system of Example 11 may furtherinclude the route selection module further providing the selected one ofthe plurality of possible routes to a vehicle, wherein the vehicledelivers the item from the origin to the destination via the identifiedroute.

In Example 13, the intelligent delivery system of any of Examples 11-12may further include the vehicle comprising an autonomous vehicle.

In Example 14, the intelligent delivery system of any of Examples 11-13may further include the evaluating comprising characterizing each of theroute segments according to a relative comfort level experienced bycontents of the vehicle while traversing the route segment and assigninga route type to the route segment corresponding to the characterizationthereof; and identifying a type of route segment that corresponds to theitem based on the identified at least one of item characteristic anditem identity.

In Example 15, the intelligent delivery system of any of Examples 11-14may further include, subsequent to completion of a delivery of the item,the mapping information for at least one of the route segments of theselected route being updated using information provided by at least oneof the vehicle and a vehicle passenger regarding the comfort level ofthe route segment.

In Example 16, the intelligent delivery system of any of Examples 11-15may further include at least one additional constraint in connectionwith a delivery of the item being identified and wherein the evaluatingfurther comprises evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view ofthe identified at least one of the item characteristic and the itemidentity in combination with the identified at least one additionalconstraint to select the one of the plurality of possible routes.

Example 17 is a vehicle comprising an onboard computer; a sensor suitecomprising a plurality of imaging devices and at least one sensingdevice for determining at least one of a characteristic and an identityof an item for delivery from an origin to a destination; a mappinginformation module for storing mapping information comprisinginformation regarding a plurality of possible routes from the origin tothe destination, the mapping information including for each of theplurality of possible routes, a characterization of each of a pluralityof route segments comprising the possible route; and a route selectionmodule for evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view of theidentified at least one of the item characteristic and the item identityto select one of the plurality of possible routes.

In Example 18, the vehicle of Example 17 may further include the routeselection module providing the selected one of the plurality of possibleroutes to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item from theorigin to the destination via the identified route.

In Example 19, the vehicle of any of Examples 17-18 may further comprisethe evaluating including characterizing each of the route segmentsaccording to a relative comfort level experienced by contents of thevehicle while traversing the route segment and assigning a route type tothe route segment corresponding to the characterization thereof; andidentifying a type of route segment that corresponds to the item basedon the identified at least one of item characteristic and item identity.

In Example 20, the vehicle of any of Examples 17-19 may further includethe selecting comprising selecting the one of the plurality of possibleroutes that has a highest percentage of route segments of the identifiedtype.

Example 21 is a method comprising identifying at least one of acharacteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin toa destination; identifying a plurality of possible routes between theorigin and the destination using mapping information, the mappinginformation including for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view ofthe identified at least one of the item characteristic and the itemidentity to select one of the plurality of possible routes; providingthe selected one of the plurality of possible routes to a vehicle,wherein the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to the destinationvia the identified route; and subsequent to completion of a delivery ofthe item, updating the mapping information for at least one of the routesegments of the selected route using information provided by at leastone of the vehicle and a vehicle passenger regarding the comfort levelof the route segment.

Example 22 is a method comprising identifying at least one of acharacteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin toa destination; identifying a plurality of possible routes between theorigin and the destination using mapping information, the mappinginformation including for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; identifying at least one additional constraint inconnection with a delivery of the item; evaluating the plurality ofpossible routes in view of the identified at least one of the itemcharacteristic and the item identity and the at least one additionalconstraint to select one of the plurality of possible routes; andproviding the selected one of the plurality of possible routes to avehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to thedestination via the identified route.

It is to be understood that not necessarily all objects or advantagesmay be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment describedherein. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize thatcertain embodiments may be configured to operate in a manner thatachieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taughtherein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as maybe taught or suggested herein.

In one example embodiment, any number of electrical circuits of theFIGS. may be implemented on a board of an associated electronic device.The board can be a general circuit board that can hold variouscomponents of the internal electronic system of the electronic deviceand, further, provide connectors for other peripherals. Morespecifically, the board can provide the electrical connections by whichthe other components of the system can communicate electrically. Anysuitable processors (inclusive of digital signal processors,microprocessors, supporting chipsets, etc.), computer-readablenon-transitory memory elements, etc. can be suitably coupled to theboard based on particular configuration needs, processing demands,computer designs, etc. Other components such as external storage,additional sensors, controllers for audio/video display, and peripheraldevices may be attached to the board as plug-in cards, via cables, orintegrated into the board itself. In various embodiments, thefunctionalities described herein may be implemented in emulation form assoftware or firmware running within one or more configurable (e.g.,programmable) elements arranged in a structure that supports thesefunctions. The software or firmware providing the emulation may beprovided on non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprisinginstructions to allow a processor to carry out those functionalities.

In another example embodiment, the electrical circuits of the FIGS. maybe implemented as stand-alone modules (e.g., a device with associatedcomponents and circuitry configured to perform a specific application orfunction) or implemented as plug-in modules into application specifichardware of electronic devices. Note that particular embodiments of thepresent disclosure may be readily included in a system on chip (SOC)package, either in part, or in whole. An SOC represents an IC thatintegrates components of a computer or other electronic system into asingle chip. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and oftenradio frequency functions: all of which may be provided on a single chipsubstrate. Other embodiments may include a multi-chip-module (MCM), witha plurality of separate ICs located within a single electronic packageand configured to interact closely with each other through theelectronic package. In various other embodiments, the digital filtersmay be implemented in one or more silicon cores in Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), andother semiconductor chips.

It is also imperative to note that all of the specifications,dimensions, and relationships outlined herein (e.g., the number ofprocessors, logic operations, etc.) have only been offered for purposesof example and teaching only. Such information may be variedconsiderably without departing from the spirit of the presentdisclosure, or the scope of the appended claims. The specificationsapply only to one non-limiting example and, accordingly, they should beconstrued as such. In the foregoing description, example embodimentshave been described with reference to particular arrangements ofcomponents. Various modifications and changes may be made to suchembodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thedescription and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

Note that with the numerous examples provided herein, interaction may bedescribed in terms of two, three, four, or more electrical components.However, this has been done for purposes of clarity and example only. Itshould be appreciated that the system can be consolidated in anysuitable manner. Along similar design alternatives, any of theillustrated components, modules, and elements of the FIGS. may becombined in various possible configurations, all of which are clearlywithin the broad scope of this Specification. In certain cases, it maybe easier to describe one or more of the functionalities of a given setof flows by only referencing a limited number of electrical elements. Itshould be appreciated that the electrical circuits of the FIGS. and itsteachings are readily scalable and can accommodate a large number ofcomponents, as well as more complicated/sophisticated arrangements andconfigurations. Accordingly, the examples provided should not limit thescope or inhibit the broad teachings of the electrical circuits aspotentially applied to a myriad of other architectures.

Note that in this Specification, references to various features (e.g.,elements, structures, modules, components, steps, operations,characteristics, etc.) included in “one embodiment”, “exampleembodiment”, “an embodiment”, “another embodiment”, “some embodiments”,“various embodiments”, “other embodiments”, “alternative embodiment”,and the like are intended to mean that any such features are included inone or more embodiments of the present disclosure, but may or may notnecessarily be combined in the same embodiments.

It is also important to note that the functions related to contactlesscurrent measurement using magnetic sensors, e.g. those summarized in theone or more processes shown in FIGS., illustrate only some of thepossible functions that may be executed by, or within, the currentmeasurement systems illustrated in the FIGS. Some of these operationsmay be deleted or removed where appropriate, or these operations may bemodified or changed considerably without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure. In addition, the timing of these operations may bealtered considerably. The preceding operational flows have been offeredfor purposes of example and discussion. Substantial flexibility isprovided by embodiments described herein in that any suitablearrangements, chronologies, configurations, and timing mechanisms may beprovided without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, andmodifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it isintended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes,substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims. Note that all optional featuresof the apparatus described above may also be implemented with respect tothe method or process described herein and specifics in the examples maybe used anywhere in one or more embodiments.

In order to assist the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)and, additionally, any readers of any patent issued on this applicationin interpreting the claims appended hereto, Applicant wishes to notethat the Applicant: (a) does not intend any of the appended claims toinvoke paragraph (f) of 35 U.S.C. Section 112 as it exists on the dateof the filing hereof unless the words “means for” or “step for” arespecifically used in the particular claims; and (b) does not intend, byany statement in the Specification, to limit this disclosure in any waythat is not otherwise reflected in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying at least one ofa characteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an originto a destination; identifying a plurality of possible routes between theorigin and the destination using mapping information, the mappinginformation including for each of the plurality of possible routes, acharacterization of each of a plurality of route segments comprising thepossible route; evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view ofthe identified at least one of the item characteristic and the itemidentity to select one of the plurality of possible routes; andproviding the selected one of the plurality of possible routes to avehicle, wherein the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to thedestination via the identified route.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe item characteristic comprises at least one of a sturdiness of theitem, a physical state of the item, and a perishability of the item. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the item identity is identified byreading a code associated with the item.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the item identity is identified by information provided by auser.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the item identity is identifiedusing imaging devices to capture one or more images of the item by whichto identify the item.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluatingfurther comprises characterizing each of the route segments according toa relative comfort level experienced by contents of the vehicle whiletraversing the route segment and assigning a route type to the routesegment corresponding to the characterization thereof.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the evaluating further comprises identifying a type ofroute segment that corresponds to the item based on the identified atleast one of item characteristic and item identity.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the selecting further comprises selecting the one ofthe plurality of possible routes that has a highest percentage of routesegments of the identified type.
 9. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising, subsequent to completion of a delivery of the item, updatingthe mapping information for at least one of the route segments of theselected route using information provided by at least one of the vehicleand a vehicle passenger regarding the comfort level of the routesegment.
 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying atleast one additional constraint in connection with a delivery of theitem, wherein the evaluating further comprises evaluating the pluralityof possible routes in view of the identified at least one of the itemcharacteristic and the item identity in combination with the identifiedat least one additional constraint to select the one of the plurality ofpossible routes.
 11. An intelligent delivery system for a vehicle, theintelligent delivery system comprising: at least one sensing device fordetermining at least one of a characteristic and an identity of an itemfor delivery from an origin to a destination; a mapping informationmodule for storing mapping information comprising information regardinga plurality of possible routes from the origin to the destination, themapping information including for each of the plurality of possibleroutes, a characterization of each of a plurality of route segmentscomprising the possible route; and a route selection module forevaluating the plurality of possible routes in view of the identified atleast one of the item characteristic and the item identity to select oneof the plurality of possible routes.
 12. The intelligent delivery systemof claim 11, wherein the route selection module further provides theselected one of the plurality of possible routes to a vehicle, whereinthe vehicle delivers the item from the origin to the destination via theidentified route.
 13. The intelligent delivery system of claim 11,wherein the vehicle comprises an autonomous vehicle.
 14. The intelligentdelivery system of claim 11, wherein the evaluating further comprises:characterizing each of the route segments according to a relativecomfort level experienced by contents of the vehicle while traversingthe route segment and assigning a route type to the route segmentcorresponding to the characterization thereof; and identifying a type ofroute segment that corresponds to the item based on the identified atleast one of item characteristic and item identity.
 15. The intelligentdelivery system of claim 11, wherein, subsequent to completion of adelivery of the item, the mapping information for at least one of theroute segments of the selected route is updated using informationprovided by at least one of the vehicle and a vehicle passengerregarding the comfort level of the route segment.
 16. The intelligentdelivery system of claim 11, wherein at least one additional constraintin connection with a delivery of the item is identified and wherein theevaluating further comprises evaluating the plurality of possible routesin view of the identified at least one of the item characteristic andthe item identity in combination with the identified at least oneadditional constraint to select the one of the plurality of possibleroutes.
 17. A vehicle comprising: an onboard computer; a sensor suitecomprising a plurality of imaging devices and at least one sensingdevice for determining at least one of a characteristic and an identityof an item for delivery from an origin to a destination; a mappinginformation module for storing mapping information comprisinginformation regarding a plurality of possible routes from the origin tothe destination, the mapping information including for each of theplurality of possible routes, a characterization of each of a pluralityof route segments comprising the possible route; and a route selectionmodule for evaluating the plurality of possible routes in view of theidentified at least one of the item characteristic and the item identityto select one of the plurality of possible routes.
 18. The vehicle ofclaim 17, wherein the route selection module further provides theselected one of the plurality of possible routes to a vehicle, whereinthe vehicle delivers the item from the origin to the destination via theidentified route.
 19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the evaluatingfurther comprises: characterizing each of the route segments accordingto a relative comfort level experienced by contents of the vehicle whiletraversing the route segment and assigning a route type to the routesegment corresponding to the characterization thereof; and identifying atype of route segment that corresponds to the item based on theidentified at least one of item characteristic and item identity. 20.The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the selecting further comprisesselecting the one of the plurality of possible routes that has a highestpercentage of route segments of the identified type.